Killer Guest for Art House Project

This past weekend's Art House Project/Sundance Channel Film Series presentation of John Cameron Mitchell's HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH (what could be better at 12:30 in the afternoon on a hot summer day?) featured a very special guest--Producer Christine Vachon of Killer Films. Christine was in town as part of the Masters in Residence program at the Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach, and as we've done in the past with such artists as Saul Williams and DJ Spooky, Spalding Gray, Alan Berliner, and Eric Bogosian, Enzian and the ACA co-produced an event for their Community Outreach.

Not that this glorious, funny, touching, irreverent, and wildly inventive rock musical needed any bonuses, but having Christine intro the film and do Q & A afterwards was terrific. Though she was flying off the next day to Montreal for more preproduction work on the Todd Haynes Bob Dylan pic (I'm Not There), the passionately indie producer was generous with her time, very friendly, and incredibly informative. This is a woman not afraid to take chances, believes strongly in the creativity of the filmmakers she works with, and has phenomenal taste. A sampling of titles of her work that has graced Enzian's screen either for a regular engagement or special presentation in the Florida Film Festival over the years would include: Poison, Kids, I Shot Andy Warhol, Kiss Me Guido, Happiness, I'm Losing You, Hedwig, Far From Heaven, The Company, and The Notorious Bettie Page. Other films such as Safe, Velvet Goldmine, Boys Don't Cry, One Hour Photo, Party Monster, A Dirty Shame, and Camp we wish we could've played.

So it was great she finally got to visit the theater that has taken such good care of so many of "her babies" over the years. Thanks again to Christine and the ACA for a fine event and providing a little something extra to our second Art House Project presentation (after May's kick-off with an archive print of the Coen Bros.' Blood Simple).